Ed McCann has been appointed as the new group managing editor of Independent News and Media in place of Michael Denieffe, who is retiring after 45 years with the company.

Mr McCann (40) is a former deputy editor at the Belfast Telegraph. The father of one, who hails from Belfast, joined Independent News and Media in 2003,having previously worked for the Daily Mirror, Irish News and Andersonstown News. During his time at INM he has held a number of roles including associate editor with the Irish Independent and operations editor at the Belfast Telegraph. He also worked on secondment at the Cape Argus in South Africa in 2012.

Mr McCann holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Queen’s University, as well as a post-graduate diploma in newspaper journalism and a Master of Arts in modern history.

Welcoming the appointment of Mr McCann, INM chief executive Robert Pitt also thanked Mr Denieffe for his many years of service with the group.

During his time at INM, Mr Denieffe held a number of senior management positions including group news editor, editor of the Evening Herald, pre-press manager, and IT director. In recent years, he served two terms as a newspaper industry representative on the Press Council.

“My genuine regret in finally calling it a day after such a long and fruitful career is tempered by the fact that Independent Newspapers is now positioned to further consolidate its market position and that my successor, Ed McCann, has all the attributes, skills and experience to play a pivotal role in that enterprise,” said Mr Denieffe.